


Take This Ring

by csenny



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Slow Burn, fake engagement
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24847153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/csenny/pseuds/csenny
Summary: After being saved from falling into the sea by a man on the docks Alina goes home without giving a thought to it. The next day a well-dressed woman show up in front of her house. Turns out the man who saved her was a prince and the press now claims that he is having an affair with her.By the time Prince Nikolai arrives, his mother is having tea in Alina’s living room. She states that the only way to avoid making the scandal worse is if they have get engaged and give the press one of the best love story they’ve ever heard. Eventually, they both agree.After they make the engagement official and appear together at various events the line between pretend and genuine feelings blur.
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov & Alina Starkov, Nikolai Lantsov/Alina Starkov
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Take This Ring

Bright light illuminated the kitchen as the warm summer carried the smell of the freshly baked pastry in. It mixed with the scent of the roasted coffee and warm toast. Music filled the room from the old radio from the thrift shop that worked just as fine as a new one should.

It was a simple morning, calm and uneventful. Just the way Alina liked. She hummed the song that was playing and placed her breakfast on her tiny dining table. She stepped back to pour a cup of coffee as the song ended and the DJ took over.

“What a great song, I love it ever since I first heard it as kid. Everyone probably knows it was featured in the fantastic Journal of the Countess, one of my favourite movie. I brought this up because my favourite scene from the movie is when the young countess sneaks out to spend some time with that cute musician.”

Alina sat down and started to eat as she listened to the DJ. She was also a fan of the movie and agreed with a lot of what she heard and decided that it is time to rewatch the movie.

“The reason why I wanted to mention it is because the news I’m about to share. As some of you already know there is an actual prince in our country. He came from Rakva and is here for formal reasons I won’t bother anyone, what’s more interesting is the photographs they released of him. Yesterday he went to the harbour and it looks like he had a date! I mean, even if you are not a fan of that place you can’t say that it’s not sweet. It’s all over the internet, you can take a look at them, and while you do that I’ll play a love song for them.”

As the song started to play Alina took another sip of her coffee, but what the DJ mentioned kept bugging her. She was in the harbour yesterday too, but haven’t seen anything like that. How could she miss a prince on a date?

She reached for her phone to see the pictures but stopped half way. They probably wanted to have their date in peace and the photographer ruined their privacy.

Instead of checking the photos she picked up her plate and put it in the sink. As she washed the dishes she became sure that she doesn’t want to see the pictures. She felt like she is spying on them even though it wasn’t like that at all.

Her plan was to visit the market and buy some fresh vegetables and fruits. After getting ready she was about to leave, but as she took a turn her hand hit the potted plant and knocked it down. The floor and the carpet got cover with potting soil. She sighed, put down her bag and started to clean it up.

It was already ten when she finished, but the carpet got stained. The cleaners were nowhere close to the market, so she decided to deal with that after she is back.

As she rolled up the carpet the doorbell rang. She placed it down and walked to the door thinking if she ordered anything recently.

When she opened the door a woman stood there in a bright red pantsuit, wearing dark sunglasses and being surrounded by at least half a dozen people.

“Alina Starkov?” She asked.

In response all Alina could do is nod as she was still figuring out who the woman is and why she is here.

“Wonderful. Mind if I come in? I believe it’s best if we don’t discuss such delicate matters in this hallway. ” She took her sunglasses off, but Alina couldn’t remember her.

“Actually,” She said as the woman and her company took a step forward. “What kind of matters do you mean?”

The woman raised an eyebrow at her question.

“Have you seen the photos?” A red haired girl beside her asked.

“Photos?”

“You don’t know?” The woman turned to the red haired girl and without a word she took a step forward and showed her the photo.

Alina took the phone from her but when she saw the phot she almost dropped it. It was her and the guy she met last night. She almost fell into the sea, but the man caught her just in time. To thank him she invited him for a drink.

As the red haired girl slided the photos it was all there, the entire encounter documented. She looked up and the reality slowly hit her. First she remembered what she heard in the radio this morning, then noticed how guarded the woman is and finally the pin at least five of them wore: it was the ravkan flag.

“He… He is… ” She looked at the photos again.

“Yes, he is a prince and my son.” The woman said. “I’m the queen of Ravka. Can I go in?”

Five minutes passed. Alina felt like she had at least two heart attacks as she sat the Queen and her assistant down on her small sofa. The rest, who were very likely her stood at different sides of the house. Two stayed by the door, one by the window and the other two went to look around. She offered the queen and the assistant coffee and was happy she could think about something else for a bit.

“So you haven’t seen the photos?” The queen asked.

“No, I was heading to the market.” She almost added the incident with the carpet but decided it’s better to leave that bit out.

“Oh, I’ve heard a lot about the markets of Shriftport.” The red haired girl said with smile, but it disappeared once she looked at the queen beside her.

The queen turned to her assistant. “Did you sent the message?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Alina returned from the kitchen and placed the plate with the coffee down. They both took their cups and silence fell on the room. For the Saints knows how long no one said any words, while Alina took the chair by the dining table and sat with the two woman.

Suddenly the doorbell rang again. Alina stood up, but a bodyguard was faster than her. Within seconds the prince stepped into the room. He entered quickly, but stopped once he saw Alina, who was equally surprised by seeing him again.

“Finally,” His mother’s voice broke the silence. “What took you so long, Nikolai?”

“I came as fast as I could.” He said glancing at Alina.

“I believe you’ve seen the photos, so we can talk ab—”

“What photos?” Nikolai interrupted.

His mother raised her eyebrows, while her assistant and Alina also looked at him. “You haven’t seen them too? What have you done all morning?”

“I woke up at Genya’s text.”

While they discussed that Genya stood up and showed the photos to him too. His face fall as he first looked at them and the more he slided the more tense he became.

“It’s all over the news, in every country.” The queen said. “I woke up at 5:50 to a call from the Shu minister, who was quite furious. I don’t think I’ll surprise you that he lost his interest and stepped down from out deal.”

As she spoke Nikolai sat down, but still looked at the photos.

“And that’s the lesser bad. Some tabloid who were very aware of the real reason of your visit thought they will bring the most out of this situation.”

Genya placed a newspaper on the table, the headline said _The Ravkan Affair: The Prince Has A Mistress?_ It was followed by an article she showed on her tablet, the headline here said _The Second Son Of Ravka Caught Cheating!_ and by another that said _What a Night! Prince Nikolai Spent The Night With Two Woman_

“There are more,” Genya said. “But I feel like that was enough.”

Nikolai shook his head and focused his attention on the yellow carpet under his feet. “I’ll fix it.”

“It’s too late.” To the queen’s words her son looked up. “I already sent the foreign minister to the Shus, if anyone, he can smooth things between our countries.”

“You should have sent me.” There was a hint of annoyance in his voice that even Alina noticed. All she knew about Ravka was what she heard from the news and that wasn’t much.

“Don’t worry, I already came up with a plan to get you out of this mess.” She drank the last sip of her coffee and placed the cup down. “You are going to get married.”

Nikolai chuckled. “If that would be the case I wouldn’t be here.”

“Not to the Shu minister’s daughter.” The queen told her son, then looked at Alina. “To her.”

Alina froze as all eyes turned to her. Nikolai was also shocked by the news.

Before any of them could form a sentence that made sense the queen continued. “You are a very interesting person, Alina. Can I call you Alina?” The queen took the tablet from Genya and glanced at the document that was opened on it. “You were left at a hospital here, had three foster parents until you finished high school. Then you joined the army, which I believe was to escape the last foster parent who as of now is in prison for assault, physical violence and murder. You went to community college where you studied politology, but never finished. Currently you give courses to primary school children who want to learn to paint.”

Alina felt completely naked as the queen shared more and more detail about her life. She had no idea what she could say. So much happened in such a short time. Eventually, she gathered her thoughts. “Why would you want someone, with so many secrets in her past as the bride of your son?”

The queen smiled. “That’s a very good question.”

“This is a diversion, isn’t it?” Nikolai asked.

“Yes, of course it is. I want you two to get engaged. The backstory is easy, since Alina is a painter we going to let the press know that you met her because of our new family portrait. I came here to make it even more obvious that we want to hire her, the little romance will be the extra. The entire story will be like a fairy tale, the press will love it.”

“I only agree if she is fine with that.” He looked at Alina. “After all, your name got dragged down because of me. I also want you to make the portrait and we will pay you.” He looked at Alina, but his last words were meant to his mother. “We will break the engagement once everything calmed down and we will do it peacefully. But only, if you agree.”

Alina looked at him. She know he meant everything he said. She might only spent a little more than an hour with him, but she knew he wasn’t lying. She looked at the newspaper that was still on the table. They referred her as a ‘mistress.’ If she declined this offer that’s how she would be known. A mistress. She could never teach the kids again. The thought twisted her heart.

She finally looked at Nikolai’s eyes. “You promise?”

The prince nodded. “If you think by the end that I wasn’t truthful to you, you can tell the press all the secrets you learned.” They both smiled.

“How long would it last?” Alina turned to the queen.

“About half a year maximum.”

She looked at the newspaper again, thinking about what her future would look like if she said no. One word that could ruin her life as it is now. Then she looked at Nikolai, the man she barely knew, but somehow she know he will stay true to his promise.

She took a deep breath. “I agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments, thoughts, single word like yeet or even a "k" is really appreciated!
> 
> Next: Chapter 2 - Turbulence


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